Council defends its public consultation on Cork City's first neighbourhood cycle scheme

Cork City Council confirmed that 50 trees have been identified for removal, but about 200 semi-mature trees will be replanted

The council also said it took on board local concerns about the loss of on-street parking in several areas under the draft plans for the ambitious €12m project in Mahon and made design changes in a bid to strike a balance between the provision of active travel infrastructure and private car usage. File picture: Larry Cummins

Cork City Council has defended its public consultation on the city’s first neighbourhood bike scheme and said four times as many trees will be replanted as will be felled.

The council also said it took on board local concerns about the loss of on-street parking in several areas under the draft plans for the ambitious €12m project in Mahon and made design changes in a bid to strike a balance between the provision of active travel infrastructure and private car usage.

The council has been forced to defend the scheme just days after work began on the construction of a 5.5km network of segregated safe cycle paths, bike lanes, and footpaths on several roads in the suburb, to create the city's first 20-minute neighbourhood, with links to the Blackrock and Passage West greenway, and to existing cycling infrastructure on the Skehard Road and the Marina.

But almost 350 people have signed a petition set up by former Lord Mayor and local election candidate Chris O’Leary, criticising the level of public consultation on the plans, the scale of tree-felling, and calling for a halt to the work pending “meaningful engagement” with the public.

However, the council defended the consultation and said the statutory planning and public consultation process started on April 29, 2022, with the publication of notices in both the Irish Examiner and The Echo advising the public of the draft proposals, how to view the plans online and in City Hall, and how to make submissions.

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The council said about 50 people attended an open day on the scheme in the Mahon Community Centre in June 2022 — a meeting which was advertised locally at the church, community centre, creche, local shops and Oakgrove Leisure Centre.

“The attendees included local councillors, residents, business owners, community groups, sports groups as well as church and school representatives,” the council said. “The open day allowed locals to meet with the project design team, view and discuss the proposals, make suggested changes.” 

By the closing date, 29 planning submissions had been received in addition to suggestions received during the open day.

The planning report on the scheme which was presented to councillors last September shows that several submissions raised concerns about the loss of parking outside Holy Cross Church, near Holy Cross NS, outside Ringmahon Stores, and on Ringmahon Road near Ringmahon Rangers FC.

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The council said it engaged further in to bid to find alternative parking arrangements in some places, and changed the plans in other areas.

The council also confirmed that 50 trees have been identified for removal because of “conflicts with the proposed works” including clashes with kerb-lines, lanes and utility lines but about 200 semi-mature trees will be replanted.

“These trees range in height from four to six-plus metres in height, and ranging in girth from 200mm (8 inches) to 300mm (12 inches), which are classed as semi-mature,” it said. About 2,400sqm of bulb planting, over 800 herbaceous plants, 90-plus shrubs and approximately 550 hedge plants will also be planted.

Work on the scheme is expected to take up to 18 months to complete.